The Starry Plough provides a backdrop for the tricolour and the sunburst. There is also an early appearance of some Celtic knotwork, at the top of the mural, along with the shields of the four provinces in the corners. Whiterock Road, Belfast
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00208
“Victory to the Armagh women” and “Provisional IRA” and an armalite. Rosnareen Avenue, Belfast
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00201
A phoenix in the colours of the Irish tricolour.
Shaw’s Road, west Belfast.
With “INLA” on the shutters of the off-licence next door.
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00200
Portraits of Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara, Joe McDonnell, and Martin Hurson (or possibly Brendan McLoughlin). Whiterock Road (at Carnmore Place), Belfast
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00199
The names of four hunger strikers – Bobby Sands RIP, Patsy O’Hara RIP, Raymond McCreesh, and Franky Hughes RIP – with an “H” made of barbed wire and two Irish tricolours.
Falls Road (at Fallswater St), Belfast
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00198
The view from Top Of The Hill looking down over the old town and the bogside. The island of Ireland in green, white, and orange, “Smash H-Block”, “Political status now”.
Strabane Old Road, Gobnascale, Derry
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Copyright © 1981 Peter Moloney
M00197
The previous street-level graffiti on Westland Street, Derry — for which see 1973’s PIRA Provos — is shown here being repainted with a series of three panels: a tricolour and starry plough, hands in chains, and H-block.
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Copyright © 1981 Peter Moloney
M00187 M00186
Republican prisoners, one with a raised fist: “I’ll wear no convicts uniform, nor meekly serve my time, that Britain might make Ireland’s fight 800 years of crime.” It appears from the fist in the top of the gable that a larger version was initially attempted but then scaled back. The figures are based on a 1981 poster urging the restoration of political status for republican prisoners.
According to Bill Rolston, this is the first mural painted in Belfast, in the spring of 1981. For a history of (republican) proto-murals and murals, see Visual History 02.
Whiterock Road, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00184 M00185
Sunburst and tricolour flags with a phoenix(?) rising out of the flames.
Trench Road, Gobnascale, Derry.
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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00183
“Hunger strikers murdered by the crown”, “Out of the ashes arose the Provisionals”, with a primitive phoenix, sunburst flag, and tricolour.
Blucher Street/Lisfannon Park, Bogside, Derry
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Copyright © 1981 Peter Moloney
M00182
Peter Moloney Collection 